Bernanke backs Fed's move to economic thresholdsFederal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said he supports a proposal that the U.S. central bank announce numerical "thresholds" linking its monetary policies to unemployment and inflation. "It does have the advantage that it would help to distinguish between our anticipation for how the economy is going to evolve, and how we will react to those conditions," he said. Reuters
(11/20)

Is Pricing Low Your Strategy to Success? Think again.Pricing is the heart of a business. It affects everything you do and is affected by everything you do. Economists talk of supply and demand as key factors behind pricing—successful entrepreneurs manipulate demand by making their products more desirable. These six steps will help you determine the right price for your product or service, read the article and learn how to get pricing right.

Your Bottom Line

Points to ponder before hiring more sales staffHiring more sales staff doesn't automatically translate into top-line revenue growth, David Rosenbaum writes. Before a new sales rep is brought on board, make sure the current salespeople are meeting their quotas. Also, finance chiefs should examine the total cost of the new salesperson, including training and additional software licenses. "You need to look at the overall ecosystem before you add staff," says Kevin Akeroyd of Badgeville. CFO.com
(11/20)

Critical thinking isn't just for college professorsSmart bosses teach workers to think critically about the challenges they face, writes Joel Garfinkle. That means encouraging them to ask the right questions, and to have confidence in their thought processes. "Continue to encourage employees to act independently ... and they will reward you and the company with sound decisions based on logic and common sense," Garfinkle writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership
(11/19)

Why bosses should find their "off button"Leaders shouldn't be afraid to turn off their smartphones and iPads, write Henry Mintzberg and Peter Todd, as digital distractions make it harder for bosses to relate to their workers effectively. "By giving managers the illusion of control, the rapid flow of information through new technologies threatens to rob them of real control," the pair write. Strategy+Business magazine (free registration)
(Winter 2012)

Transformational Journeys: Modern Business PlanningHarvard Business Review explores why CFO's and their finance organizations must adapt to the changing landscape of their markets and how big data, organizational collaboration, and new cloud-based planning and analysis technologies are driving successful change. Click here to access the report.

SmartPulse

What are your hiring plans for 2013?

Plan to maintain the size of our workforce

49.38%

Plan to hire next year

21.60%

Plan to lay off employees

19.75%

Don't know

9.26%

Holding the line: About half of poll respondents indicated they plan to maintain the status quo. Plans to hire and plans to lay off were nearly even, at 22% and 20%. --Cindy Kraft, the CFO Coach

Can Congress do anything to prevent the "fiscal cliff"?

Yes, and I'm confident they will

No, and I'm very concerned

We can sure hope

Not sure

The IDC Market Spotlight on Network Automation and AgilityThe arrival of virtualization, cloud computing, and mobility has strained data center networks—and IT staff—like never before. This Market Spotlightexplains how data center network fabrics provide a foundation for automated provisioning, configuration, and management of network-based services in a new era of IT agility. Download now.

On the Move

Marianne Lake has been named CFO at JPMorgan Chase. Lake has been CFO for the bank's retail branch systems since 2009. Chicago Tribune/Reuters (tiered subscription model)
(11/19)

Darryl Button will be named CFO of Aegon. Button was head of finance at Aegon's U.S. operation. Bloomberg Businessweek
(11/20)

One smell to combine them all?Scientists have discovered a new smell they are calling "olfactory white" because it is a mixture of many compounds, making it the olfactory equivalent of white noise, Stephanie Pappas writes. Olfactory white's scent is so bland it is difficult to describe. "The best way to appreciate the qualities of olfactory white is to smell it," according to the researchers. LiveScience.com
(11/19)

Editor's Note

SmartBrief will not publish Thursday and FridayIn observance of Thanksgiving in the U.S., SmartBrief will not be published Thursday and Friday, Nov. 22 and 23. Enjoy the holiday!

SmartQuote

A lot of people forget what it takes to make the tenth salesperson you hire as successful as the first."